STA calls for revised solar power predicitions

The National Grid has been told its predictions for solar power in the coming future need to be revised as failure to do so will risk undermining the sector’s progress.

The Solar Trade Association (STA) claims that the operator’s estimates for solar do not reflect reality and that these need to be revised upwards.

National Grid’s two green scenarios predict only 7.5GW and 8.5GW of installed solar capacity by 2020, whereas the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is predicting 12GW and the Energy Secretary’s ambition is set at 20GW.

STA chief executive, Paul Barwell, explained: “it is frustrating that both the government and the National Grid are basing important decisions on out-of-date data. This undermines what the solar industry has achieved so far and risks holding back solar’s potential.

“The number of solar installations in place is higher than official statistics, and our industry’s ambition is even higher. The cost of solar has fallen dramatically. We forecast that solar will become cheap enough to compete without public subsidy by the end of the decade, but only if it has a stable policy framework. Using accurate data is an essential part of that.”